CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Maguire and Walden were renewing their acquaintance with Gordon’s wine bar in Villiers Street off the Strand. While there was a buzz around them with the late night crowd ensconced in the crypt-like cellar and bustling in the open bar the two detectives sat silent.
The bar is loved by old and young alike who appreciate the unique atmosphere in which time seems to have halted at the entrance. The old wooden walls are covered in historical newspaper cuttings and memorabilia faded with age. The present owners have maintained the original décor and unlike modern drinking establishments they have also kept music out. On sale is wine and a small menu of traditional and well priced grub. The only other alcohol on offer are sherries, madeiras and ports that are served from the barrel.
For those patrons interested in history, the building in which the bar is situated was home to Samuel Pepys in the 1680s and then around a hundred and forty years later by Minier & Fair, a firm of seedsmen who used it as a warehouse. Rudyard Kipling lived in the building in the decade before the turn of the century as a tenant and famously wrote “The light that failed” in the parlour above the bar
What really appealed to Maguire and Walden was that anonymity was guaranteed at Gordon’s despite its popularity. But it was more recent history that both detectives were musing about in silence.
Walden raised his glass of Argentinean Malbec Trivento and looked directly at Maguire. He swallowed much of what was left in the glass and said: “You know the Super is livid.”
Maguire said nothing.
“Sooner or later he’s going to find out, I don’t know how but somehow, that you fed that information to Tighe,” Walden went on. “And then all hell will break loose. And some of the flying shit will land on me too.”
Maguire still said nothing.
“You hear what I’m saying? This could get us both in really deep shit.”
“Ford knows it’s true,” said Maguire and took a small sip of his own red wine. “The longer everyone tries to pretend otherwise, that James or someone else in lockup is responsible, the worse it will get.”
“I don’t see how it can get worse for us.”
“What do you think will happen when another woman is whipped off the street, tortured and mutilated and then dumped somewhere? What then?”
Maguire did not wait for Walden to reply. “I’ll tell you what’ll happen. The press will have a field day. The politicians will have a field day. Everyone will have a fucking field day. And who’ll be caught right in the middle? Who will be blamed for everything? Us. The coppers who let everyone, especially the next victim, think that the streets were safe to walk again.
“And how will this help?” asked Walden. “You telling that journalist now?”
“If nothing else,” said Maguire, “it will let every woman know that it’s still dangerous out there and that they should take every precaution.” He took another sip and added: “And it might draw this bastard out of the shadows a little. So we can have something, anything, to use to catch him.”
“What do you mean?” said Walden.
Maguire cupped his glass in his hands and leaned forward across the table. Walden did likewise.
“This guy is very smart. He’s killed four and may even have done more. There is no doubt. You know and I know that he won’t stop until he’s caught. And as I say, he is clever. We’ve found nothing that links him to any of the women. Not a thing.”
“So?”
“So we try to draw him out. If we can’t find him maybe we make him do something that will give us a clue as to who he is. Or why he’s doing this. Or something.”
“How? How can this reporter help?”
Maguire kept his voice low. “He is going to try to entice the guy into doing something, making a mistake.” He stopped briefly. “You read his stuff. The facts are there but so are the other bits.”
“What bits?” said Walden.
“The bits about the killer’s mind. His vulnerabilities. His weaknesses. Tighe is going to try to mess with this guy’s head so that he gets pissed off and makes a mistake.”
“Christ,” said Walden. “That’s crazy. And crazy dangerous. You realise you are a party, an integral party, to activities that put this reporter in serious danger. Especially if this plan works. You could even get him killed for Christ’s sake.”
*
The junior Minister from the Home Office was appearing before the House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee
Adrian Thomason was on guard. He was not going to fall into the same trap he did with the television host the last time he was faced with questioning about the state of law and order in the country, and particularly if asked about the murders of the four women. The Home Secretary himself had made that perfectly clear. In short, no more blunders.
Thomason was well aware that there were members of the Committee who would love to see him fall on his face again. One or two of them would be quite prepared to risk public apprehension about safety on the streets if it meant he once again blurted out things he should not. Public safety was one thing, party politics often was quite another.
Select Committees work in both the House of Commons and the higher House of Lords the responsibility being to check and report on a number of areas ranging from the work of government departments to economic affairs. Committees in the House of Lords specifically concentrate on the four main areas of Europe, science, economics, and the British constitution. There is a Commons Select Committee for each government department examining three aspects: Spending, policies and administration. They have a minimum of eleven members who decide the line of inquiry and then gather written and oral evidence. Findings are reported to the House of Commons, printed, and published on the parliament website.
Some Select Committees have a role that crosses departmental boundaries such as the Public Accounts or Environmental Audit Committees. Depending on the issue under consideration they can look at any or all of the government departments. Other Commons committees are involved in a range of on-going investigations, like administration of the House itself or allegations about the conduct of individual Members of Parliament. Select Committees operate largely by an investigative process, while Legislative Committees operate mainly by debate.
The Home Affairs Committee takes evidence on policing large-scale disorder from the Home Secretary but in this case Adrian Thomason had been called to attend because the Home Secretary himself was with the Prime Minister dealing with yet another problem.
The Committee had already discussed matters concerning the operations of the UK Border Agency and, in a much lengthier session, they explored the causes of and response to the recent rioting.
Questioning with regard to the border agency provided an opportunity to question the Acting Chief Executive on progress in dealing with the reductions in funding arising from the much disliked comprehensive spending review, or cutbacks in short. Specific subjects included recent criticisms of the Agency made by both its own independent chief inspector and the National Audit Office, the possible appearance of a backlog in dealing with new asylum cases, continuing problems with the e-borders programme, and more generally on the work of the Agency.
As for probing the causes of the rioting, the principal focus had been on London and the Metropolitan Police, but additional attention was scheduled to be placed on other towns and cities in subsequent evidence sessions. This particular session also enabled the Committee to discuss arrangements for loaning officers between forces and police tactics more generally as well as considering the role of the Association of Chief Police Officers in tackling the disorder.
There is also normally a sixty day period before the government has to respond to Committee hearings. In this case Adrian Thomason had been called early. The matters under discussion were too serious to delay.
So far the inquisition had gone satisfactorily. Factual answers given to factual questions. He had not slipped up and it appeared that the Committee members were concentrating on the street disturbances themselves, the role of the police in the various hotspots, plans for future occasions should there be similar ones in the future, and the forced reduction in police numbers that would result from the government’s spending cuts. The files before him on the rectangular table facing the horseshoe arrangement of the Committee members contained all the necessary information. Thomason was beginning to think he was on the top of his game.
“Minister,” said the Chairman, “you have been most helpful with the information you have given us here today. I think I can say that it has been illuminating and we will have much to digest before submitting our report to Parliament.” He paused and Thomason leaned back in his chair and cast his eyes around the membership, smiling.
“I wonder,” continued the Chairman, “if you could also enlighten us with any new information regarding the police hunt for the person responsible for the murder of four women in the past nine, or is it now, ten months. Have there been any new developments?”
Thomason had been warned that this subject would be raised. It had been such a high-profile case that there was little chance of the Committee not wanting to learn more if there was more to learn. And to be seen by the public at large to be concerned. Even though much of the media had recently moved the stories from the front page to the inside pages there was still concern in the community.
Thomason leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. “I am sure you will appreciate Chairman that as it is an ongoing case I am not able to go into detail about the police investigation. There is still much more the police have to do. But I can tell you that a person has been arrested and is in police custody being questioned about the murders to which you refer.” He straightened his back and put is hands on his lap.
“Thank you,” said the Committee Chairman. “We do appreciate the limits placed on you given the police investigation.” He glanced to his left and then to his right as if to see if any other members wanted to raise any questions and then said: “Well, if there…”
“Mr Chairman, I have a question for the Minister if I may.”
Sir Kenneth Bell had been a Member of Parliament for the past twenty-three years. His constituency was in the Midlands and while he certainly had the experience and knew his way around the House he was known as someone who paid more attention to his constituents and their local complaints than to major national or international issues that faced the government. When he did speak in the House, which was not often, he was listened to with great courtesy and the matters he raised were acted upon. He was not a politician to be ignored.
When he was attending Home Affairs Select Committee hearings Sir Kenneth generally could be seen with his head bent quietly listening to the exchanges. That’s how he had appeared so far in this hearing.
Looking straight at Adrian Thomason he asked: “Minister, you say there is a man in custody who is probably responsible for these murders.”
Thomason smiled and broke in: “With due respect I didn’t exactly say that this person was a probably responsible. I think I said the police had arrested a man and he was being questioned.”
“Quite right,” said Sir Kenneth. “Indeed. But you intimated that this man might possibly be charged with these crimes.”
“Not as such sir, no. I am afraid I can’t go into detail about…..”
“I know that Minister. I know that. I am just trying to be clear about this. The man in police custody is thought to be perhaps in some way involved in these murders. Is that right sir?”
Thomason coughed slightly. He straightened his back once more clasped his hands together in his lap. “Sir Kenneth,” he said addressing the Member of Parliament by name because he knew them all from previous sessions he had attended and before coming today he made sure to refresh his recollection of each. “Sir Kenneth you put me on the spot somewhat. I can only repeat that I cannot say anything further as the investigation is still continuing. In which direction the police enquiries will go is something I am not able to comment on. I do hope you will understand.”
The Committee Chairman looked at Sir Kenneth Bell, then at Adrian Thomason, and finally at other Committee members on either side of him. “Minister,” he said, “of course we understand your position and I am sure that Sir Kenneth understands better than most of us around this table, having been around much longer than some of us have been in this House.”
Sir Kenneth kept his eyes on Thomason. There was a little shuffling from the public and press seats behind him as people readied themselves to leave.
“That is true Mr Chairman,” he said without looking at the Chairman. “But I just wanted to ask the Minister if he has read the column in the newspaper today which alleges that the police know the man they are holding in custody for murder has absolutely nothing to do with the four other murders. In other words, does he agree, or does he know, or have information, that the person in police custody is not the serial killer?”
Now the room was silent.
Adrian Thomason thought very carefully, and very quickly, before replying. “Mr Chairman, I am afraid I am not permitted to comment on the veracity or otherwise of individual press articles. I have told you all I am at liberty to report. The police investigations are still continuing.”
“So,” said Sir Kenneth Bell. “It would not be inaccurate to say that for all we know, for all anyone knows, the murderer, or monster I think you once unfortunately called him, or her, may still be out there. That he or she may still be stalking our streets?”
Junior Minister Adrian Thomason said nothing. He said nothing aloud but a professional lip reader might just have detected the beginning of his articulating his thoughts which began with the four letter epithet “Fuck!”
*
There was a lot of blood.
So much blood.
He had not anticipated there would be so much.
He thought there would be mostly bone with little flesh and therefore the blood flow would be limited.
In fact he had trouble stemming it.
No sooner had he begun with the hacksaw than he realised his preparations were going to be sorely tested.
But he could not stop.
The feathers had decided.
He must continue.
He quickly ran upstairs and gathered towels and sheets.
On the way back down he grabbed a sweat shirt hanging in the pantry.
At first he packed them around the wound and squeezed tightly.
That had been satisfactory on one occasion in the past when he had also been surprised by the amount of bleeding.
But this time it was worse.
He panicked.
He was unsure what he must do.
All his meticulous preparation was at risk.
But he could not allow it to fail.
So he decided on the only course of action he could think of.
He continued cutting and allowed the blood to soak and spread into the towels and sheets he packed under her legs.
Finally the bone gave and a final effort severed the foot.
It was done.
Now he could think of how to bandage the stump and stop the bleeding.
*
Paula fainted too long after the amputation had begun.
Once it started, and knowing there was nothing she could do to stop it, she wished and prayed that the pain and shock would enable her to black out.
Then she would wake when it was all over.
But it was not soon enough and despite her screaming and pleading and begging and crying the dreadful noise and the pain became relentless.
Finally though she mercifully sank into darkness.
When she woke she immediately felt the numbness in her left leg.
She tried to raise her head to examine her injuries but could do so only sufficiently to see that the lower part of her leg was swathed in bandages and that the end of the mattress was soaked in blood. Horrified she slumped back.
She did not know the exact extent of the wound but when she tried to cautiously wriggle the toes on her left leg and felt no sensation at all the realisation began to dawn on her that perhaps her foot had indeed been cut off. It had not been a nightmare.
It was then that Paula again screamed in anguish for a long time.